Aqaba Container Terminal releases its sustainability report

Press release

Published December 4th, 2011 - 05:53 GMT

Al Bawaba

Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT), the Kingdom’s primary gateway to the shipping lanes of the Red Sea and beyond, announced today the release of its first sustainability report, entitled, “Developing the Most Sustainable Gateway to Jordan and Beyond.”

The report by ACT - based on the United Nations Global Compact - covers five key areas; promoting efficient and innovative operations at the terminal, developing a safe work environment for employees, community investment and development, mitigating damage to the surrounding environment, and promoting transparency, accountability and financial sustainability at the terminal. The company has emphasized that only through long-term planning taking into account a range of issues – from employee professional development to preserving Aqaba’s marine ecosystem – can the terminal fulfill its potential and serve Jordan and the region for generations to come.

“We are very proud to introduce our first comprehensive sustainability report,” commented ACT’s CEO, Soren Hansen. “We believe this report will lay the foundation for long-term success, both in the business sense and the holistic sense. This means keeping all of our stakeholders at the forefront of our consciousness. I am not just referring to our traditional stakeholders - such as investors and the Jordanian government - but rather all parties that have a stake in our success. This includes our employees and our neighboring communities as well as the many businesses that rely on products and materials that come through the terminal. Realizing the crucial role the terminal plays locally and nationally, we have committed ourselves to overall sustainability in all facets of our operations at ACT.”

The sustainability report reviewed operations from 2006 to 2010, focusing on – and further developing – a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the progress of the terminal. The report analyzed data ranging from the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions for every container processed (which fell 11.37% from 2008 to 2010) to the total amount of community investment in Aqaba (200.000 JD in 2010). The report also took note of ACT’s total contribution towards protecting Aqaba’s coral reefs (1.3 million JD to date) and the percentage of employees receiving health and safety training (100% in 2010). In order to maintain focus on long-term goals, ACT will begin producing similar reports on an annual basis.

ACT is a joint venture between Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) - the Jordanian Government's central development vehicle for the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) - and APM Terminals, one of the world's leading container terminal operators.

Background Information

Aqaba Container Terminal

In 2003, the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), on behalf of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, was on a mission to acquire a strategic partnership to improve the efficiency, capacity and the operational performance of the container terminal in Aqaba. After signing a Terminal Management Contract with ADC in 2004, APM Terminals (part of the global A.P. Møller–Maersk Group), took over the management and operation of the terminal.

A 25-year Joint Development Agreement (JDA) was signed between ADC and the Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) in 2006. Under the contract, APM Terminals Jordan operates, manages and markets ACT in addition to executing the Master Plan, which anticipates achieving a drastic increase of throughput capacity through a combination of physical and operational improvements.